Three weeks in New Zealand - 4/12 - 5/4/2024

Day 15-Breakfast & the drive to Kaikoura-4/25/2024

Today we will work our further down to the South Island and ending the day in Christchurch.  Along the way we will stop by Kaikoura located about 2 hours south of Blenheim. 

Check out the view of the breakfast area in our hotel overlooking the Seymour Square.

I really like the large window over looking the square.  What a great spot to have breakfast.

My breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, roasted tomatoes, a crispy Hash brown and a really nice cappuccino. 

Driving from Blenheim to Kaikoura

We are now driving from Blenheim to Kaikoura along State Highway 1 (SH1) and it is supposed to be one of the most scenic coastal routes in New Zealand.

20 minutes into our drive and the we see a lot of hills. 

Rolling farmland in Seddon.

We are still in Marlborough wine region and you can see lots vineyards along the way.

Neat rows of vineyards stretching across flat plains.

This is a quintessential New Zealand rural landscape: fluffy lambs grazing peacefully on vibrant green paddocks, fenced vineyards stretching out behind them, all set against rolling hills and mountain peaks. The bright sunshine and fresh breeze complete the idyllic pastoral scene.

Vibrant fenced green paddocks set against rolling hills and distant mountain peaks. The bright sunshine and the green pasture complete the idyllic pastoral scene.

It is so pretty to drive by beautiful farmland.

We passed through Ward and the inland farmland gives way to breathtaking costal views.

We started to see the Pacific Ocean appearing  beside the road, especially as the hills drop away and the highway hugs the coastline.

Driving along the coast of the Ocean Pacific is such a beautiful sight.

The road at Woodside Creek took us in a narrow coastal corridor with a view of the Kaikoura mountains.

On one side we can see the wild Pacific Ocean.

Along the road we see these beautiful tall trees called New Zealand Manuka, a native tree growing tall in exposed coastal area. Manuka tends to flower early fall.

The road is now curving to follow the coast line.

We are now at one of the most breathtaking stretches of the South Island, where the curved coastal road winds between the Pacific Ocean and the towering Kaikōura mountains.

On one side you have the deep blue Pacific Ocean, endless and wild, stretching to the horizon, and on the other steep, rugged mountains rising sharply with their ridgelines etched against the sky.

How pretty is this?  looks like paradise to me.

The road seems carved between two worlds: land and sea, movement and stillness, power and beauty.

It is so scenic!

The Kaikōura Ranges dominate the inland view.

It is so amazing that the road is right next to the coast line.

More curved road.

Natural and untouched rocky beach.

We are now entering one of the most dramatic and geologically rich stretches of the Kaikōura coast where jagged rock formations rise from the sea, shaped by tectonic forces and centuries of relentless waves. The formations often appear as sharp fins, layered ledges, or craggy spires, especially near places like Ohau Point, Half Moon Bay, and Kaikōura Peninsula.

These rocks are limestone and mudstone beds, slowly tilted and cracked by seismic activity.

There is a rest area on the right but we decide to keep driving on State Highway 1

We noticed in the distance a rugged rock formations along the Kaikōura Coast, visible as you drive south on State Highway 1 (SH1) toward Kaikōura, especially near Blue Duck Stream and Ohau Point.

It looks like a coastal rocky bluff that rises sharply between the road and the ocean, with a distinct pointy summit.

It has a dramatic spine-like or pyramid shape, formed from uplifted limestone or greywacke rock, the result of tectonic forces, including the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake that reshaped much of this coastline. Small, wind-sculpted trees or hardy shrubs cling to the summit, growing where few plants can survive. These are likely native shrubs and small coastal trees, surviving in thin soil, exposed to strong salt-laden winds, and are shaped by constant weathering.

The weather is changing and the clouds are starting the cover the sky.

NEXT... Kaikoura